Best Steam Cleaners and Steam Mops 2024: Drive Grime from Your Home Using Tried and Tested Steam Power
Get your kitchen, shower, and hallway floors squeaky clean with the best steam cleaners we’ve reviewed
The best steam cleaners are great for eradicating grime from almost any hard surface and soft furnishing, revolutionizing your cleaning routine. In our experience, steam cleaners make light work of your kitchen and bathroom, and can even lift worked-in dirt and stains that we’ve struggled to eliminate by other means. And the big plus point is that they do all of this without the need for any chemicals – a huge plus if you’re concerned about the substances you breathe in.
At Expert Reviews, we have years of experience testing cleaning products and gadgets. So below, we’ve narrowed down a selection of the best steam mops that we believe are worth the investment.
If you’re new to the world of steam cleaning, be sure to check out our handy buying guide at the bottom of the page to help you get to grips with the key things to consider when shopping for a steam cleaner. However, if you’re ready to buy then jump straight to our mini reviews of the best steam cleaners that have impressed us most in tests.
Best steam cleaners: At a glance
| Best-value steam cleaner | Kärcher SC 3 EasyFix (~$230) | Check price at Kärcher |
| Best steam cleaner for accessories | Dupray Neat (~$150) | Check price at Walmart |
| Best steam cleaner for stamina | Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 (~$380) | Check price at Walmart |
How we test steam cleaners
We put steam cleaners through their paces by assembling them, filling them with filtered or distilled water, then putting them to work in the kitchen, the bathroom, and across a range of tiled or vinyl floors.
Along the way, we evaluate all the supplied accessories and their ability to remove limescale and dirt across a variety of surfaces and glass. We also test whether brushes can reach into those awkward little corners to obliterate lurking grime. We then time how long it takes for the mop or cleaner to heat up and be ready for action, and how long it takes for the tank to empty. Finally, we look at any additional features, and see how easy and neat the steam cleaner is to stow away, ready for the next use.
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The best steam cleaners and steam mops you can buy in 2024
1. Kärcher SC 3 Upright: Best steam mop for carpets, rugs, and laminates
Price when reviewed: $180 | Check price at Kärcher
Kärcher’s upright steam mop is heavier and more powerful than the average steam mop, so we were a tad underwhelmed by its head of steam. Where other models pump out clouds of the stuff at the least provocation, the SC 3 Upright looks quite restrained.
However, its big selling point is its versatility. With settings for wooden, and even laminate, floors as well as rugs and carpets, it isn’t limited to tackling only tiled or vinyl hard floors. In tests, we found it gentle but effective on parquet and tiled vinyl flooring as well. Just be careful to check the settings first, or you could end up with excess water on your surfaces.
The Kärcher scores bonus points by having a large 0.5qt tank, which can be refilled while the steam mop is still in operation. If you have tricky or expensive wooden surfaces, then in our opinion this is the one to buy.
Key specs – Type: Steam mop; Water tank capacity: 0.5qt; Power: 1,600W; Max steam pressure: Not supplied; Accessories provided: Microfibre pad, anti-limescale filter cartridge, carpet glider; Cord length: 25ft; Dimensions (WDH): 12.4 x 8.2 x 46.7in; Weight: 10.8lb; Warranty: 2 years
2. Kärcher SC 3 EasyFix: Best-value steam cleaner
Price when reviewed: $230 | Check price at Kärcher
Kärcher might have traded its signature yellow livery for an updated white design, but we’re pleased to say that in terms of performance, this exceptional mid-range steam cleaner remains the same. Like the previous version, we found it incredibly easy to set up and use, with the extension tubes and heads clicking neatly into place. The tank is filled through a recessed hole at the top, which incorporates a replaceable anti-limescale filter. It takes a little over the billed 30 seconds to get a proper head of steam – around 47 seconds, according to our timings – but from there it will keep puffing away until the 1.1qt water tank runs dry. But even that didn’t stop our cleaning spree, since you can simply refill from the tap with the steam cleaner running.
What makes this cleaner even more impressive is that there’s so much cleaning power on offer. Every squeeze of the trigger dispenses a thick cloud of red-hot steam. The supplied floor mop, hand brush, and hard brush nozzle do a fantastic job of scrubbing away persistent marks and built-up grime, even on tricky shower screens, sinks, and kitchen drainers. Tiles shine in seconds, and you can blast lurking dirt and gruesome hair deposits from drains and plug holes. What’s more, its light weight makes it easy to lug around the house, while the 7.22ft cable offers plenty of reach. With the price usually under the $200 mark, we reckon this is the best-value steam cleaner for most people.
Key specs – Type: Steam cleaner; Water tank capacity: 1.1qt; Power: 1,450W; Max steam pressure: 3.5 bar; Accessories provided: Floor nozzle, hand nozzle, round brush, floor-cleaning cloth, hand nozzle cover; Cord length: 7.22ft; Dimensions (WDH): 14.2 x 9.3 x 10in; Weight: 9.2lb; Warranty: 1 year
3. Dupray Neat: Best steam cleaner for accessories
Price when reviewed: $150 | Check price at Walmart
It’s hard to make a steam cleaner that stands out from the crowd, but Dupray has managed it with its cute, cubic-shaped Neat. We loved the surprisingly practical design, packing neatly into a cupboard when the cleaning’s done, while the lengthy 16ft cable coils into a space at the bottom for storage. The Neat also couldn’t be much easier to use: fill the tank, screw on the cap, and press the massive power button on the front to set it boiling away.
We waited around eight minutes for the button to change from glowing orange to green; but once hot, the Neat keeps dishing out 1.7qt of steam, allowing for a good 30 to 40 minutes of cleaning in our tests. The Dupray is great for accessories, with a fantastically effective shower/window squeegee, a triangular brush for tight corners, and six nozzle brushes – five nylon, one brass. With that lot and the Neat’s steaming power, we were well equipped for some seriously in-depth cleaning.
We’d like the Neat even more if you could refill it during cleaning – unfortunately, you have to wait for it to cool before you can open the tank. Despite this, in our opinion, the Neat is a great jack-of-all-trades on surfaces, sinks, and shower trays, and just as fabulous on floors.
Key specs – Type: Steam cleaner; Water tank capacity: 1.7qt; Power: 1,500W; Max steam pressure: 3.5 bar; Accessories provided: Window tool, triangle brush, detail nozzle, 5 x nylon brushes, 1 x brass brush; Cord length: 16ft; Dimensions (WDH): 10.5 x 10.5 x 9.4in; Weight: 9lb; Warranty: 1 year
4. Polti Vaporetto Smart 100: Best steam cleaner for stamina
Price when reviewed: $380 | Check price at Walmart
You’d expect the nation that came up with espresso to know a bit about steam, and the Polti Vaporetto Smart 100 doesn’t disappoint. Within two minutes of turning it on, vast quantities of steam are ready and waiting for duty from a massive 2.1qt tank that should service several large rooms. We like that there’s no waiting for more steam to come through at any point afterwards, and you can remove the tank and refill it from the tap while the cleaner is on, without cooling. Where other steam cleaners run out of puff, the Vaporetto just keeps going.
It’s fantastically versatile as well. The Vaporforce brush dispenses steam downwards for mopping, or you can add the included rug accessory for rugs and carpets. We also appreciated the inclusion of a smaller head with a brush and a rubber blade for glass, along with two smaller, tougher brushes, and a scraper. Armed with this lot you can tackle everything from tiled floors to sinks and splashbacks, and it all comes out looking sparkly clean.
It’s bigger and heavier than many steam cleaners, and more expensive than most, but in our opinion, if you have a house full of kids and pets, which frequently needs some major cleaning, it’s a price worth paying.
Key specs – Type: Steam cleaner; Water tank capacity: 2.1qt; Power: 1,500W; Max steam pressure: 4 bar; Accessories provided: Vaporforce brush, rugs accessory, small brush with window cleaning fitting, small round nylon brush, heavy-duty red brush, steam concentrator, scraper; Cord length: 13ft; Dimensions (WDH): 15.7 x 10.6 x 11.4in; Weight: 11lb; Warranty: 2 years
How to choose the best steam cleaner for you
What sort of steam cleaner should I buy?
Steam cleaners come in three basic formats. First, you have the classic steam cleaner, comprising the steamer unit – where the water is housed and boiled – that connects through a pipe to the head where the steam is dispensed. The main head is usually a mop head, with some kind of pad or microfiber cloth attached, so that the steam separates the grime from the surface, and the pad or cloth wipes it away. Steam cleaners usually come with a selection of attachments, including brushes for intensive cleaning of smaller areas and scrapers or wipers for, say, cleaning worktops or glass.
Second, you have steam mops. These integrate the boiler and the head into one upright cleaning machine. As the name suggests, these are really designed to work as a super-powered mop, but a growing number can also double as a regular steam cleaner, either by having a smaller, removable boiler unit, or by allowing you to attach additional heads instead of the mop head. They’re now almost as versatile as the classic steam cleaner, but they’re easy to use and very compact.
Finally, you can buy smaller handheld steam cleaners. Great for cleaning up the kitchen and bathroom, they feature small tanks and less powerful boilers; they’re not really designed for tackling larger areas.
What should I look out for?
Steam cleaners differ in terms of capacity, convenience, and cleaning power, with the size of the tank being a significant factor when making a decision over which model to buy.
Some models only allow you to refill the tank once the steam has been turned off and the cleaner has cooled down, which means you’ll only be able to clean for as long as there’s water in the tank, restricting each stint to 10 or 15 minutes.
Others, however, include a separate feeder tank that you can refill while the cleaner is in use, or even an inlet into which you can keep tipping water while the machine is up and running. With such cleaners, it’s likely that you’ll run out of steam far sooner than the cleaner itself.
The power of the boiler is also an important consideration, simply because it can take time to boil and pressurize the steam. Newer cleaners are far better at reducing that wait time; but it can still be several minutes before you get a usable head of steam. What’s more, many steamers need a breather now and then while they get steam together before they can continue. Certain cleaners are better at minimizing this wait time than others.
Pressure is key, too: the higher the steam pressure, the faster the steam jets out and the better it is at dissolving dirt and grime. For this reason, a steam cleaner that can put out 3.5 to 4 bar of pressure will have a lot more cleaning power than a handheld cleaner with less than 3 bar.
Are there any practicalities worth thinking about?
Take a good look at the accessories you get with the cleaner. The more brushes, nozzles, and scrapers, the better, while a gliding mop-head cover for doing carpets is another big plus. Also watch out for the mains lead and the length of any steam hose, since there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to steam-clean in the corner of your shower because it won’t quite reach the area without an extension cord.
In the past, you were required to use distilled or deionized water in some steam cleaners, so that they wouldn’t become clogged with limescale. Many recent models aren’t so fussy, containing some kind of filter or limescale prevention system – although it’s still worth using filtered water if you live in a hard water area.
Finally, make sure the surfaces you want to mop can cope with steam cleaning before you buy a steam cleaner – unless you like the sight of an expensive kitchen floor peeling up before your eyes. While hardwood floors, tiles, most worktops, and sheet vinyl flooring are fine to clean with a steam cleaner, some softwood, laminate, or modular floorings are a no-go and will require the use of a broom, mop, or vacuum cleaner.
